Exports API

Export Canva designs in various formats including PDF, images, presentations, and videos. The API supports synchronous processing with automatic polling for job completion.

POST/api/rest/exports

Export a Canva design in the specified format. The API will poll the export job until completion and return the download URLs.

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
designId	string	The Canva design ID to export
formatType	string	Export format: 'pdf', 'jpg', 'png', 'pptx', 'gif', or 'mp4'
formatSize	string (optional)	Page size for PDF/PPTX: 'a4', 'a3', 'letter', or 'legal'
formatQuality	string (optional)	Video quality for MP4: 'horizontal_480p', 'horizontal_720p', 'horizontal_1080p', 'horizontal_4k', 'vertical_480p', 'vertical_720p', 'vertical_1080p', 'vertical_4k'. Required for MP4 exports.
formatExportQuality	string (optional)	Export quality: 'regular' or 'pro'
formatPages	number[] (optional)	Array of page numbers to export (1-indexed). If not specified, exports all pages.
formatWidth	number (optional)	Custom width in pixels for image exports
formatHeight	number (optional)	Custom height in pixels for image exports
formatLossless	boolean (optional)	Enable lossless compression for image exports
formatTransparentBackground	boolean (optional)	Enable transparent background for PNG exports
formatAsSingleImage	boolean (optional)	Export all pages as a single image (for multi-page designs)

Request Example

POST /api/rest/exports
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "designId": "design_1234567890",
  "formatType": "pdf",
  "formatSize": "a4",
  "formatExportQuality": "pro",
  "formatPages": [1, 2, 3]
}

Response Example

{
  "jobId": "export_job_1234567890",
  "status": "success",
  "urls": [
    "https://api.canva.com/exports/design_1234567890.pdf",
    "https://api.canva.com/exports/design_1234567890_page2.pdf",
    "https://api.canva.com/exports/design_1234567890_page3.pdf"
  ]
}

Important Notes

Authentication: Requires a valid API token in the Authorization header
Processing Time: The API polls the export job every 2.5 seconds for up to 20 attempts (approximately 50 seconds total)
MP4 Exports: The formatQuality parameter is required for video exports
Multi-page Exports: Each page is returned as a separate URL in the response
Error Handling: Failed exports include error details with code and message

Response Status Codes

Status	Description
200	Export completed successfully
401	Unauthorized - Invalid or missing API token
500	Export failed or timed out

Example Use Cases

PDF Export

POST/api/rest/exports

Export a design as a high-quality PDF

Request Example

{
  "designId": "design_1234567890",
  "formatType": "pdf",
  "formatSize": "a4",
  "formatExportQuality": "pro"
}

Response Example

{
  "jobId": "export_job_1234567890",
  "status": "success",
  "urls": ["https://api.canva.com/exports/design_1234567890.pdf"]
}

PNG Image Export

POST/api/rest/exports

Export a design as a PNG with transparent background

Request Example

{
  "designId": "design_1234567890",
  "formatType": "png",
  "formatWidth": 1920,
  "formatHeight": 1080,
  "formatTransparentBackground": true,
  "formatLossless": true
}

Response Example

{
  "jobId": "export_job_1234567890",
  "status": "success",
  "urls": ["https://api.canva.com/exports/design_1234567890.png"]
}

MP4 Video Export

POST/api/rest/exports

Export a design as an MP4 video

Request Example

{
  "designId": "design_1234567890",
  "formatType": "mp4",
  "formatQuality": "horizontal_1080p"
}

Response Example

{
  "jobId": "export_job_1234567890",
  "status": "success",
  "urls": ["https://api.canva.com/exports/design_1234567890.mp4"]
}